The ACC is the last stop in our Pivot Points series, in which we dissect cause-and-effect scenarios to identify the swing factors for each of the "power five" conferences.

Up for discussion: sore spots for the two teams I think will play for the ACC title; the coaching futures of Frank Beamer and Jimbo Fisher; and an off-the-radar team to watch. (Spoiler: ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt will approve.)

Here's a look at five potential scenarios that could shape the ACC this season:

1. If Clemson’s secondary can hold together (particularly against Georgia in Week 1), the Tigers will be national title contenders.

The Tigers signed eight defensive backs in the 2013 class, but injuries to a couple of players in that group who were projected to get time have pushed back the progress of the unit. The linebackers could be outstanding and the line is above average, but the secondary is the biggest question mark on the entire team.

The coaching staff believes the pass rush will offset some potential issues with the back end, but that is a lot to put on the D-line. Ultimately, there will be one-on-one situations, and at some point, the secondary will be put to the test -- and potentially early in the season.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

Travis Haney

Travis Haney joined ESPN in April 2012 as Insider's national college football writer. He previously covered the University of Oklahoma Sooners for The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman for one season, and the University of South Carolina Gamecocks for The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier for four. Additionally, Haney has contributed since 2003 to ESPN publications and projects, including ESPN The Magazine.

A native of Cleveland, Tenn., Haney's initial introduction to a college football cathedral was Neyland Stadium. He later graduated from the University of Tennessee, in 2003, and has spent time covering the Volunteers, the University of Georgia, Clemson University, and other schools. Safe to say, football, and football in the South, was injected into his bloodstream at a young age.

Haney is the author of three books -- Gamecock Glory and Gamecock Encore, which chronicled the South Carolina baseball team's run to the 2010 and 2011 national championships, and State of Disunion, a historical look at the Clemson-South Carolina football rivalry that he co-wrote with Larry Williams.